Pages

Welcome to Varied Expressions of Worship

Welcome to Varied Expressions of Worship

This blog will be written from an orthodox Christian point of view. There may be some topic that is out of bounds, but at present I don't know what it will be. Politics is a part of life. Theology and philosophy are disciplines that we all participate in even if we don't think so. The Bible has a lot to say about economics. How about self defense? Is war ethical? Think of all the things that someone tells you we should not touch and let's give it a try. Everything that is a part of life should be an expression of worship.

Keep it courteous and be kind to those less blessed than you, but by all means don't worry about agreeing. We learn more when we get backed into a corner.

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Opus 2013-297: Cornerstone Considerations: Citizens Have Rights

Are you a citizen or a subject? This is a question I hear in discussions of Second Amendment rights. What is the difference?

Most people in the world are subjects. Although to us the concept of royalty is out of date, they all live in subjection to a king of queen. That king may now be a prime minister, party chairman, ayatollah or labor leader, but they still demand submission to their authority because they are ordained by some superior power. They may be benevolent or tyrannical but they are still worthy of your obedience because they are better than you. They may listen to you but that is just because they are inclined to be pleasant. Your opinions are of no value. You are a subject.

Citizens on the other hand are individuals with rights because they have value. The political leader is no different except that they have been given a temporary position to act and do what they can to implement the desires of the people who put them in that position. The authority is in the citizen not the ruler.

This is the basis of the Bill of Rights in the Constitution of the United States. The concept of citizen is given a strong foundation in the first two Amendments. How many of you can list the five rights in the First Amendment? It is scary how many don’t have any idea. Briefly they are, in order, religion, speech, press, assembly, redress of grievances. The Second Amendment is reserved for the right to bear arms. These are rights reserved for people with political power, in our case citizens, and often denied to subjects.

Here is the complete text of the First Amendment.

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.”

Our current political leaders, usually but not always of both parties, feel that they are a privileged class. They feel that their vision is better than those under them. They feel that the end justifies the means because they have a better idea and we need their wisdom to guide us. They want us to get out of the way, sit down, shut up and pay the bills. That means they must convince us we are subjects, not citizens.

Until recently, America has never been a nation of subjects. We have always been a group of people that believe that “all men (and women) are created equal.” The elites of government, education and media are trying to make us forget that. The youngest generation has nothing to forget because they were never taught.

Elections have consequences, even at the school board level. Next time you get a chance remember the antidote to revolution and violence is to vote the suckers out.